Operation Mincemeat

Jan 21, 2026

Join amateur historian Roger Morgan as he unveils the fascinating story behind Operation Mincemeat, a World War II deception involving a fake corpse named Major William Martin. Hear archival insights from Ewan Montagu, the Royal Navy intelligence officer who orchestrated the stunning ruse to mislead Nazi Germany. They discuss the meticulous planning, the challenges of sourcing a suitable body, and the shocking reveal of the real identity behind the deception, Glyndwr Michael, who has remained a mystery for decades.

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ANECDOTE

Creating A Convincing Fake Officer

Ewan Montagu and his team fabricated a full identity for 'Major William Martin' including uniform, letters, tickets and a girlfriend's love notes.
They even kept the wallet warm in their pockets and used real theatre tickets to make the persona believable.

ANECDOTE

How They Found The Corpse

Montagu struggled to source a suitable corpse and turned to London morgues because wartime casualties made finding an unremarkable body tricky.
Coroner Bentley Purchase eventually supplied a man who died of pneumonia and fit the requirements for the ruse.

ADVICE

Protect Privacy During Secret Operations

When handling sensitive requests, Montagu consulted coroners discreetly to avoid alarming relatives and maintain secrecy.
He also promised he would never reveal the corpse's identity to protect privacy and operational security.

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In the early hours of 30 April, 1943, one of the most audacious hoaxes of World War Two has just got underway. Its code-name - Operation Mincemeat.

The body of a British naval officer, Major William Martin, has been washed up on a Spanish beach. The dead man is carrying top-secret papers revealing details of a planned Allied invasion, and it’s not long before they fall into enemy hands.

But the plans are false and Major Martin doesn’t exist.

In a daring mission, British naval intelligence has requisitioned a corpse and dressed him in uniform to plant fake information. It works.

But for decades, no-one knew the real name of the man who’d played the biggest part: Major William Martin.

Enter Roger Morgan, an amateur historian. He tells Jane Wilkinson how Operation Mincemeat unfolded and how he uncovered the major’s true identity.

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(Photo: William Martin's ID card. Credit: National Archives, Kew)